In each panel, a dashed orange line illustrates the distribution of T/S ratio among control children and a solid blue line illustrates the distribution of T/S ratio among N+WSH intervention children. Even if a child was not present at Year 1, they were included in the analysis if they provided a sample at Year 2.

Enrollment characteristics of households with children who had telomere measurements. Data are percentages of binary variables or mean (SD) of continuous variables. Percentages were estimated from slightly smaller denominators than those shown at the top of the table for the following variables due to missing values: mother’s age, father’s education, father works in agriculture, acres of land owned, open defecation, latrine has a concrete slab, latrine has a functional water seal, visible stool on latrine slab or floor, ownership of child potty, observed feces in the house or child’s play area, handwashing variables.

Balance of enrollment characteristics in the WASH Benefits main trial, telomere substudy children enrolled at Year 1, and telomere substudy children lost to follow-up at Year 2

Telomere substudy: Lost to follow-up at Year 2 (from those who had telomere outcomes at Year 1)

No. of children:

Control (N=1779)

N+WSH Intervention (N=953)

Control (N=321)

Control (N=338)

N+WSH Intervention (N=61)

N+WSH Intervention (N=44)

% / mean (SD)

% / mean (SD)

% / mean (SD)

% / mean (SD)

% / mean (SD)

% / mean (SD)

Maternal

Age (years)

24 (5)

24 (6)

23 (5)

24 (5)

23 (4)

23 (5)

Years of education

6 (3)

6 (3)

7 (3)

6 (3)

7 (3)

6 (4)

Paternal

Years of education

5 (4)

5 (4)

5 (4)

5 (4)

5 (4)

5 (4)

Works in agriculture

30%

30%

24%

29%

20%

18%

Household

Number of persons

5 (2)

5 (2)

5 (2)

5 (2)

5 (3)

5 (2)

Has electricity

57%

60%

60%

62%

57%

61%

Has a cement floor

10%

10%

16%

12%

20%

7%

Acres of agricultural land owned

0.15 (0.21)

0.14 (0.38)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

Drinking Water

Shallow tubewell primary water source

75%

73%

72%

70%

77%

66%

Stored water observed at home

48%

48%

49%

53%

56%

57%

Reported treating water yesterday

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Distance (mins) to primary water source

1 (1)

1 (2)

1 (1)

1 (2)

1 (1)

1 (1)

Sanitation

Reported daily open defecation

Adult men

7%

7%

4%

9%

3%

7%

Adult women

4%

4%

3%

5%

2%

2%

Children: 8-<15 years

10%

10%

4%

11%

8%

13%

Children: 3-<8 years

38%

37%

29%

35%

30%

32%

Children: 0-<3 years

82%

88%

73%

88%

73%

83%

Latrine

Owned

54%

53%

62%

52%

67%

50%

Concrete slab

95%

94%

97%

93%

100%

98%

Functional water seal

31%

27%

38%

31%

46%

38%

Visible stool on slab or floor

48%

46%

54%

48%

64%

53%

Owned a potty

4%

4%

8%

4%

16%

2%

Human feces observed in the

House

8%

7%

6%

7%

10%

5%

Child’s play area

2%

1%

1%

1%

2%

0%

Handwashing

Within 6 steps of latrine

Has water

14%

11%

18%

13%

18%

8%

Has soap

7%

6%

9%

6%

11%

8%

Within 6 steps of kitchen

Has water

9%

9%

11%

10%

9%

5%

Has soap

3%

3%

3%

3%

0%

0%

Nutrition

*Household is food secure

67%

71%

74%

72%

75%

68%

Data are percentages of binary variables or mean (SD) of continuous variables. Percentages were estimated from slightly smaller denominators than those shown at the top of the table for the following variables due to missing values: mother’s age, father’s education, father works in agriculture, acres of land owned, open defecation, latrine has a concrete slab, latrine has a functional water seal, visible stool on latrine slab or floor, ownership of child potty, observed feces in the house or child’s play area, handwashing variables.

Confidence intervals were adjusted for clustered observations using robust standard errors. Separate weights were created for the inverse probability weighting for each of the different analyses because the probability of missing at Year 1 was different than at Year 2.

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